Blacks who try to quiet folks belong in Africa

The "White Man's Poster Boy" referred to is KABC talk radio show host Larry Elder, who launches his verbal barrages against the forces of idiocy from the city of Los Angeles. Elder, it seems, has been tried, found guilty and sentenced to death by a court of nitwits skulking about L.A.'s black community. The above death threat came in the form of leaflets distributed throughout South Central Los Angeles.

Elder is a black conservative. There are varying definitions of the term black conservative. My favorite is "one who delights in telling black liberals, leftists and nationalists things they don't want to hear."

Since his arrival at KABC, Elder has uttered much that many blacks don't want to hear. He has blasted liberal black leadership, scorned affirmative action, advised those blacks inclined to hold Pity Parties because of past and present racism to move on with their lives and suggested that blacks are "demonstrably more racist than whites."

Elder and I would part company on the final charge. My reading of history and current racial trends indicates blacks have some catching up to do in the racism department. But if we haven't caught up, it's not because we're not trying.

Elder's views have clearly pushed some people over the edge. An obscure South Central organization - the Talking Drum Community Forum - is campaigning to get Elder hauled off the air. It is a fascist move, a jackboot tactic that would probably make anti-gangsta rap fanatic C. Delores Tucker seem like a civil libertarian by comparison.

Talking Drum sent letters to the sponsors of Elder's show. They accused him of being "the most racist, anti-black talk show host in Los Angeles." They quoted Elder as saying blacks were lazy, stupid and the cause of all crime in America.

"I never even came close to saying any of those things," Elder countered in an interview on Baltimore's WCBM Thursday night. His protests of innocence went unheeded by some of the sponsors.

"Several sponsors pulled from my show, never to return," Elder revealed. The good news is that other sponsors with more backbone quickly filled the void. Elder still does his afternoon show on KABC. That has not raised him one iota in the esteem of the Talking Drum crowd, who've labeled him a "bootlicking Uncle Tom."

Members of Talking Drum are not known. The only person who acknowledges being a member is Jamal Goree, who says he knows nothing about the letters sent to the sponsors of Elder's show. But Elder says a woman - formerly a member of Talking Drum - called him to say the group had sent the letters and apologized for her role in the sordid affair. Elder said the woman is now receiving death threats herself.

If members of Talking Drum can't be positively identified, we can pretty much tell what they're like, can't we? They're no doubt a black nationalist group. There are plenty of black nationalist groups around, some that even have something on the ball. But you can bet Talking Drum's black nationalism is of the "Blame Whitey First" variety. Black people can do no wrong in their eyes, except for black conservatives, of course, whom they regard as traitors and sellouts.

They no doubt admire Africa and things African. Some may be of the Pan-Africanist bent who advocate blacks return to Africa. That would be appropriate. They would have the same view on blacks who hold different opinions that the horde of thugs, thieves and despots who have ruined all too many black African countries have.

These African "leaders" have executed Africans who have spoken out against repression and corruption. Africans yearning for democracy and civil liberties have ended up in exile in Western nations for doing the same thing Elder wants the right to do: air his opinions publicly.

The folks in Talking Drum will have none of it. I suggest that Elder start a counter-campaign. He can have his station raise money to bring Africans seeking refuge from tyrannical regimes to this country. KABC could also raise money to offer members of Talking Drum a hefty sum to leave the country permanently for the African nation of their choice.

But they should be advised that the pearls of democracy are few and far between on the African continent. They had best choose wisely, for their letter-writing days there might be numbered.